Folks in different professions often do the same thing differently; their idiosyncrasies put some of them in a different league. Let’s look at how those born with a “mathematical gene” tend to do IT.
Algebraists do IT on both sides.
Analysts do IT within limits.
Astronomers do IT in the dark.
Combinatorialists do IT discreetly and discretely.
Computer scientists do IT bit by bit.
Constructivists do IT by exploring first.
Engineers do IT exactly as the manual says.
Formalists do IT in some rigidly tedious way.
Game theorists do IT after weighing the risks and rewards.
Geometers do IT at right angles.
Group theorists do IT in fields and on rings.
IMO mathletes do IT in two days, each lasting four and a half hours.
Logicians do IT clinically and religiously.
Math writers do IT behind the scenes, showing no signs of trial and error.
Mathematicians do IT in numbers.
Number theorists do IT with no reguard to financial gain.
Numerical analysts do IT somewhat roughly or approximately.
Numerologists do IT only on their good or lucky days.
Platonists do IT in the most ideal way imaginable.
Politicians do IT the way you want it to be.
Priests and pastors mostly do IT covertly and guiltily.
Probabilists do IT using coins and dice.
Set theorists do IT in organized groups.
Singapore math teachers do IT with some models first.
Statisticians do IT with 95% confidence.
Topologists always do IT with a surprise.
What is IT? Why, solving challenging word problems, of course. What are you thinking?
Yan Kow Cheong, February 27, 2013.
